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Essex police start testing arrest suspects for Class A drugs

Essex Police have launched a new scheme to test arrested suspects for the presence of Class A drugs, however, only certain criminal offences will lead to suspects being checked.

The project was originally trialled in Chelmsford, having been jointly funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Essex Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Safer Essex.

The drug testing project was run by the Westminster Drug Project and only included people who had been arrested on suspicion of using Class A drugs. If a suspect tested positive for a banned substance, they were given the opportunity to receive rehabilitation and counselling to help address their drug problem.

The purpose of this form of positive intervention is to steer users away from a life of crime. Many users of Class A drugs become addicted and dependent and resort to crime to help fund their habit.

The project was deemed a success in Chelmsford and now the Home Office Police Innovation Fund has allocated £0.75m to extend the programme across the entire county.

Positive drug testing can help encourage people to turn their lives around. Often, when an employee tests positive for substance abuse they receive support and advice to help them overcome their addiction. It appears that a similar approach may be beneficial when dealing with those who have been arrested for the use of Class A drugs.

Nick Alston, the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, explained the reasoning for this new approach: “It has long been known that Class A drug users often commit a significant proportion of acquisitive crime such as burglaries, shoplifting and robbery. The Drug Testing on Arrest programme aims to identify whether a person who has been arrested and taken to a police custody suite on suspicion of certain offences is a Class A drug user, and if so facilitate their access to treatment.”

This approach really does make a lot of sense. Currently, if a person is suspected of using Class A drugs police rely on finding physical evidence, but many users and dealers are quick to discard that. Testing suspects provides the police with conclusive proof that they have used drugs and they can then be guided towards the help they need.

Nick Alston also said: “The evidence shows that successful treatment for drug misuse will significantly reduce re-offending and keep our communities safer.”

The pilot programme has seen 37 individuals successfully engage with a treatment programme. Around 30 per cent of suspects have refused the help offered.

Trigger offences

Drug testing is carried out by specially trained police officers whenever someone has been arrested for a “trigger offence.” Trigger offences include acquisitive crimes, which are economically motivated; they typically include burglary, theft, muggings and vehicle crimes.

This approach ensures that only those who are most likely to be involved in drug crime are tested. Ann Naylor, a government cabinet member with responsibility for public health and an Essex county councillor, explained that the aim of the programme is to reduce reoffending.

This scheme has the potential to save public money in the long term; the National Treatment Agency has calculated that every heroin or crack cocaine user costs society £26,074 per year. Tackling drug addiction head on is seen as being the most promising way to tackle crime associated with drugs and is one of the most positive schemes to be tried in the war on drugs.

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